Ramipril Findings Draw Spotlight

A group of investigators has found that the ACE inhibitor ramipril (Hoechst Marion Roussel’s Altace) significantly reduces the rates of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke in a broad range of high-risk patients who are not known to have a low ejection fraction or heart failure.

Because of the potential therapeutic implications of those findings, the New England Journal of Medicine released a preliminary report on the study in November via the Internet in advance of its planned publication date. The preliminary report can be found at www.nejm.org/content/yusuf/1.asp.

The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation Study Investigators’ article, "Effects of an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor, ramipril, on death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, and stroke in high-risk patients" will be published in the Jan. 20, 2000, New England Journal of Medicine.